Quick Overview

Okie dokie. I thought I’d take Monica’s cue and catch everyone up on what’s been going on since we got here... We flew in on Emirates. They ranked right up there with SAS which has always been my favorite airline. Monica and Nick had a great experience with JAL so I guess we did pretty good with booking. Our flights went rather painless too. The longest layover we had was six hours in Dubai. There was plenty to look at there, so we didn’t get too bored.

Chiang Mai has been very rainy since we got here. Fortunately it’s rained mostly in the evening/early morning so it hasn’t affected our activities too much. Mike and I arrived late in the afternoon, spent the evening relaxing, and went to bed early since we had to rise early to pick up Nick. We decided to pick both Monica and Nick up from the airport since both were traveling alone. Nick had an overall good experience flying. We were a little worried since the longest flight he’s taken has been 3 ½ hours. His first flight alone was over 12 hours…He was obviously very happy to be in Thailand. He hadn’t slept much on the flight and was still wide awake from his natural high. We took a walk around Chiang Mai after breakfast to just see the sights. It was a nice look at the city. It’s interesting that no one walks in this country. I guess it’s a status symbol to own a vehicle so everyone runs around on scooters. We are the only ones walking usually and there is a constant barrage of taxis harassing us for a ride everywhere we go. Plus! There aren’t any sidewalks on half the streets! Despite this, we still choose to walk most places. I’m not sure if I would feel comfortable driving. They drive on the opposite side of the street, everyone drives manual, and no one seems to obey the lines on the road. Not only this, but the stick shift is on the opposite side. It’s take a bit to get used to shifting with the left hand! I know, I know…excuses, excuses. I would like to rent a car just for a day to get north of the city. There are tons of tours that will pick you up but they only go to one spot and you’re stuck in a group. There is an area full of waterfalls, elephants, villages, monkey centers, snake trainers, etc. etc. in an area. I’d like to drive up there and see it all. During our walk around the city we were trying to find the bar a friend from work owns. Despite Mike’s photogenic memory, we were unsuccessful in doing so. It was amusing because Mike pointed to exactly where it was on the map and we explored this area quite thoroughly. After spending so much time looking for it, we decided to just ask Tim. He gave us the address and we were able to find the bar much quicker the following day. It was a lot of fun doing so. The bartender treated us to drinks all afternoon. By the end of the evening Mike was dancing solo on the floor for more than an hour. The bartender loved watching him and I almost think his whole objective was to see how drunk he could get Mike. Haha. It’s amusing how people react to drinking. Nick becomes a very friendly over-conversationalist and Mike becomes a dancer.

We have visited a couple markets now. We went to the day market near our Bed and Breakfast twice and last night we went to the Night Bazaar in the rain. I’d like to think my bargaining skills are improving. I think I got a pretty good deal on the items I’ve purchased so far. The only thing I’m disappointed on is a shirt Mike bought that I later found out we could have purchased for much less. Ah well. You win some and you lose some. There seems to be much less pressure to buy something at the day market. At the Night Bazaar everyone is pushing you to look at their booth and buy their items. “Discount for you!”. We only went through half so far since it was raining. I think I’ll get most of my souvenirs from there.

I should probably describe the place we’re staying at. I’m very happy with it! We rented a two bedroom, two floor, two bathroom villa. It has two showers, a bathtub, two toilets, a porch, two balconies, a kitchen, dining room, living room, and canopy beds. Everything is teak and the foliage is just beautiful. There are gardens everywhere. It’s nice because you go from the craziness of the street to serenity. We’ve spent every evening sitting on our porch playing Yatzee. They offer a menu with several breakfast items to choose from – ranging from American to Thai. The staff is very helpful and courteous and the location is close enough to everything to suit our needs. Overall, an A+.

Plans for the next few days include a full spa treatment today, mountain biking, traveling north of here, mountain climbing, etc. Monica and I decided to go all out at the spa. We’re getting wrapped, steamed, caked in mud, slathered in oil, etc. etc. Four hours of total relaxation. I’ve never been to a spa before and I’ve heard this one is a pretty good one and the prices are reasonable. I’m looking forward to it. J

I suppose that’s enough rambling for now. You probably won’t hear from me again until we get back. La-konn!